Polypropylene hollow fiber microfiltration membranes (PPHFMM) with improved hydrophilicity and biocompatibility surface were prepared by the plasma-induced graft polymerization of a-allyl glucoside and were used to immobilize lipase from Candida rugosa by adsorption. A biphasic enzyme membrane bioreactor (EMR) was assembled with the glycopolymer-modified and enzyme-immobilized PPHFMM. Effect of operating variables on the performance of this biphasic EMR was investigated with the hydrolysis of olive oil. It was found that, at the optimal operational condition, an apparent volumetric reaction rate of about 0.074 mmol/l h can be obtained. This result indicated that the lipase-immobilized PPHFMM exhibited the catalytic efficiency similar to that of some hydrophilic membranes in biphasic EMR, which verified the feasibility of the employment of surface-hydrophilized polypropylene membranes in such EMR. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.